Harry Potter and the Distorted Reality
by Farai V1
Summary: They have done it again and again. In fact, they have been doing it far too many times that it's getting to the point where things just get silly. Set in the fourth year. Yes, that's right, Triwizard Tournament. Time Travel Fic! Smart, powerful but not godlike Harry with a habitual gender bending Draco. Confusing, thought provoking plot. Possible Harry/Multi. No slash. REVISED 2017
1. Chapter 1

Ron had been surprised that he hadn't seen Harry for the better part of the day. As soon as they arrived at Hogwarts for their fourth year with the Hogwarts Express, and as soon as Peeves' prank subsided, Harry literally disappeared from his line of sight. Ron found it difficult to explain how it was possible. But he was left pretty speechless.

He would have thought himself crazy, had Hermione not been there. She opened and closed her mouth several times like a drowning fish, flabbergasted at the display.

"He… _apparated_?"

Ron looked at her incredulously. He had no clue what she was on about. Was he supposed to know what apparated meant? It sounded like some type of magic. Maybe he missed the memo during classes.

Damn, they were boring anyway.

They had expected to see their best friend in the Great Hall, and got just what they were asking for.

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, busying himself with a quill and a notebook. He didn't spare anyone who greeted him a glance, merely waving his free hand as if to return the courtesy.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, baffled.

"Is he okay?" Ron asked.

"How should I know? I'm not psychic."

"But I thought you knew everything," said Ron offhandedly, getting a jab to the ribs as an immediate response.

Hermione glared at him. "I don't know everything! I know what I know."

"Yes, yes Ms. Granger," Ron waved her off. "Let's find out what's going on from the source then?"

"Agreed. I'd like to know how in Merlin's name he did that earlier."

"What, disappearing?"

"Apparating," Hermione corrected.

Ron shrugged, not understanding her fascination. "Looked pretty simple to me."

Hermione could have smacked his head in irritation but lamented that her book-smarts were miles ahead of the redhead.

They went and sat on their usual seats at the Gryffindor table: either side of Harry.

The aforementioned wizard made no indication that he was even aware that they were there.

Hermione had no idea how to breach the silence. For one, Harry seemed quite invested in his writing.

So Ron ended up being the one to say something. "What are you writing?"

"Things I shouldn't forget, but end up forgetting anyway."

To Ron, the answer was less than clear.

"Okay? What are those things?"

"It's a lot to list verbally. Frankly, I'm tired of that."

Ron was even more confused. From the way Harry phrased it, it seemed like he had already told someone about it.

Hermione decided to chime in, her curiosity getting the better of her. "How did you do that before? You know, apparate?"

Harry stopped his writing, seemingly deep in thought. "Huh… It would take too long to explain..."

Back to writing he went.

"Did you get extra training from someone?" Ron queried, a little jealousy seeping through his voice.

"Something like that." Harry had yet to spare them a glance.

Ron and Hermione exchanged another look. Something about Harry was very off.

"Harry," Draco said, sitting opposite him at the Gryffindor table.

"Draco," Harry acknowledged in kind, still scribbling.

Ron and Hermione were silent, surprised that Draco Malfoy not only called Harry by his name, but sat at the _Gryffindor_ table.

Malfoy eyed Harry for a moment and then smirked. "Right."

"Left," Harry responded.

"No, _my_ right."

"Isn't it the same thing, stupid?"

Malfoy waved his hand in the air, dismissive. "It's cooler when I say it."

"Whatever."

"… You're still going to forget."

"Fah! That's where I got you! I'm writing it down!"

"Like the last-"

"We are not talking about that!"

"It _was_ pretty funny."

"Oh, like when you-"

Draco glared at Harry, cutting him off, "Don't start with that again! I said I was sorry!"

"Tell that to Dobby. Poor guy never stood a chance. Tasted good, though."

"Accident, _accident._ What am I speaking, Chinese?"

"No, you speak Mandarin."

"Since when?"

"Since ever. You always get the two wrong."

"No, I don't. You only think I do. You're still jealous, aren't you?"

Harry slammed his quill on his notebook, giving the Malfoy heir a withering glare. "Fuck you!"

Ron and Hermione couldn't stop their jaws coming off their hinges. They were lost when Draco and Harry started conversing but were now borderline stupefied with Harry actually swearing.

Draco took it in stride. He took out his wand, waved it around a few times and with a poof, in his place was a very attractive blonde, wearing the Slytherin uniform. She batted her lashes at him, and pouted, accentuating a plump, pink lips. "Really, Harry? You want to do it _here_? Kyaa~! Everyone is watching!"

True to Draco's outburst, almost _everyone_ in the Great Hall was peering at their conversation in rapt interest. Most of them still had their mouths wide open. Draco looked and sounded like the hottest girl they had ever known.

"You're still turning into a girl?! What is _wrong_ with you?! That definitely shouldn't be legal!"

Draco cupped his/her chin with both hands, blowing Harry a very exaggerated kiss. "You know you love it."

"I think I'm going to vomit."

"I didn't hear you complaining when-"

"I was drunk! And _don't_!" Harry warned tersely.

"Excuses, excuses," Draco shook her head, her long, platinum locks swaying from side to side.

Neville couldn't understand what he was witnessing, so he blurted it out pretty plainly. "What the _bloody_ hell is going on?!"

Draco looked at him and grinned. Her grin turned predatory when she stared back at Harry. " _Called it_! Neville said it first! Pay up, bitch!"

Harry's eye twitched. "Right now, you're the bitch… bitch."

"Couldn't care less! That will be one thousand Galleons please."

Harry pursed his lips, looking none too pleased. "Last time I'm betting on Ron. You'll get your money later, so _piss_ off before the teachers come."

At that, Draco's bright blue eyes widened. "Almost forgot about the Sorting Ceremony." With one flick of the wand, Draco was a guy again.

He stood up, ignoring everyone's eyes on him, and walked casually to his seat at the Slytherin table.

* * *

When Dumbledore came with his handful of Professors, the Great Hall was silent – so silent that a pin dropping would be deafening.

The Headmaster raised an eyebrow, not used to this kind of atmosphere. Every student and aspiring student looked completely dazed, like they could not believe that something had just happened.

'Maybe I'm over thinking things?' He mentally entertained, sauntering to his accustomed seat in front of all the Houses.

McGonagall was a tad curious on why the students seemed to be so well-behaved. It was like someone held a wand to their heads and promised the killing curse!

Once Dumbledore and his colleagues settled, the Headmaster began his greeting and speech.

Most of the children weren't even paying attention, changing their gazes from Draco to Harry and then back again.

Ron and Hermione had yet to formulate a sentence each. They both could not comprehend what just transpired. It felt like they were in a different universe. Weren't Harry and Draco bitter rivals that hated to stand in the same room as each other? Whatever happened to "Potter!" and "Malfoy!" and then some childish squabble?

And Draco actually turned into a girl. Was that even possible at all? Polyjuice maybe? But he didn't drink anything; he merely flicked his wand and that was it?

This day was weird, very, very, very weird.

Hermione was the first to get over her stupor. She looked over at the Slytherin table and noticed Draco had a bored look on his face as Albus continued to speak. So nothing exactly new there.

She turned to Harry, who was still writing, completely ignoring everything around him. Hell, the only person that got a reaction out of him was Malfoy!

The evening continued on as it should have, The Sorting Ceremony began for the new students. Nearly Headless Nick made a fuss about Peeves causing problems in the kitchen, which allowed Hermione to discover that house-elves were being used for 'forced' service.

She got upset, and let her best mates know it. "That is so terrible. House-elves are living beings, you know?!"

"And taste like chicken, too," Harry chimed in, a bit distracted.

Hermione gasped at him, her face a mask of horror. "Harry James Potter, how can you say that?! You haven't…"

Harry paused his scribbling and finally looked at Hermione. He massaged his chin in thought. "Well, no, I haven't... yet."

"Mate, are you okay?"

Harry turned to Ron, throwing him off with a smile. "I'm fine, Ron, just a bit tired."

"Oh! I get it. The Hogwarts Express must have taken a toll on you and you ain't really thinking straight."

Harry blinked at his friend. "Oh yeah… that."

Ron's logical conclusion was quickly crushed.

Near the Slytherin table, Susan Bones had been desperate to get closer to Draco's seat. After that show of turning into a pretty smoking bombshell, she had been more than curious to find out how Draco did it.

Pansy was right next to him, so she whispered the question everyone was desperate to know. "How did you do that?"

"Hm?" Draco inclined his head in Pansy's direction.

"Turning into a girl?"

"A pretty hot one to boot," Gregory included.

Vincent glared at his best mate. "Don't talk about Draco like that! Are you a fag?"

"N-no… I'm just saying what I saw!"

Draco shook his head at everyone's eager attention. "I just wave my wand, think up some weird crap and presto!"

Everyone near him blinked.

Draco stared at Pansy, grinning mischievously. "Why. So. Curious... Pansy?"

Pansy blushed, hesitant to answer, but Susan wasn't so shy as to get a word in. "It looked real!"

She quickly covered her mouth, hoping Dumbledore didn't hear her.

If he did, then he was doing a damn good job of acting oblivious.

Draco quirked a brow at Susan, grin turning into a smirk. "That's because it _was_ real."

Everyone's eyes widened.

Pansy drew closer. "You mean, when you did that, you were a real girl?"

"Oh yeah," Draco drawled, nodding like a loon.

"And," Pansy pointed at his chest, "Those were real too?"

"You bet."

"Cup?"

"Double Ds, Pansy…Double Ds"

"… Can you teach me?"

"If you don't stop causing a fuss, I shall deal with you all, _personally_ ," Snape hissed, behind the animated Slytherin table.

Susan yelped and rushed to her seat. Pansy sat as stiff as a board. And Draco, well, Draco just nonchalantly stretched his limbs.

Severus raised an inquisitive brow at Draco's laidback attitude. He didn't entertain it for too long and left the table to its own devices.

After the start-of-term notices, Dumbledore announced the postponement of Quidditch – which got a lot of negative reception. Mad-Eye Moody made his entrance as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

The second after Moody was announced, Harry dropped everything he was doing, finally taking interest in what Dumbledore was saying. It perplexed his two friends.

Draco also looked interested, staring seriously in the Headmaster's direction. The students who noticed all of this had the same train of thought: What the fuck were they so keen about?"

Dumbledore announced that this year, the Triwizard Tournament would be making a return in Hallowe'en. He explained the rules of the tournament, the number of participants allowed and mentioned the European magical schools.

Harry and Draco shared a swift look and nodded in unison.

Once Dumbledore properly instructed everyone to go to bed, Harry took his notebook and started writing again, absentmindedly following his compatriots to their allocated rooms.

* * *

Ron couldn't help but stare at Harry as the latter prepared for bed. He wasn't acting normal at all. It was as if he didn't care at all about what was happening around him, or maybe he knew something no one else did?

Even so, he wouldn't hide anything from him, would he?

If he _was_ hiding something, Ron would be sure to punch him.

"Hey, Harry… is there something going on between you and Malfoy?"

Harry rolled over on his bed until he was facing Ron. Looking at the concern in his eyes made him feel a tad guilty. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Ron."

"You sure, mate? You two seemed to be pretty chummy earlier."

"Ron, if there was something important I needed to tell you, you would be the first to know. Malfoy and I have…business to take care of, that's all."

"You're not going to tell me what it is, are you?"

"Believe me, the less you know, the better you're off."

Ron nodded sagely, not exactly getting it but understanding that something was going on.

"Well, if you need my help, just say so, okay?"

"I'll be sure to."

The young Weasley grinned at him, satisfied.

"I just want to know how the hell Draco did that. Did he use a Glamour Charm?"

Harry turned to Neville. "You'll have to ask him, Neville. I do _not_ want to know."

"Well, darn, okay, Harry."

"Night, guys."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Harry was barely sleeping. He was on the brink of unconsciousness. His eyes kept getting heavier, closing one instant and hardly opening the next.

He was so close to sleeping – so, so close.

He vaguely felt something by his legs. Whatever it was was slowly coming to his face. He groggily looked down and noticed that his blankets had a rising tent that kept moving. When the bump ended at his chest, Harry could feel hot breathing on his pyjamas.

He made a long, weary sigh.

"Harry, are you awake?" a voice whispered in his blankets.

Harry pursed his lips and his eyes narrowed into slits. He slowly looked at Ron and Neville, noting that they were both fast asleep.

"Harry, you're awake, aren't you? I can feel your heart beating faster."

Harry's brow twitched. "Draco, get the fuck off me. This is damn awkward!"

"Shh, they might hear." From the way Draco sounded, and the two mounds pressing against Harry's chest, he was definitely a she right now. "Meet me at the corridors downstairs – near the girls' bathroom."

Harry didn't get a chance to respond before he saw Draco's silhouette dashing out of the room.

He rubbed his head, squinting his eyes. "He's going to give me a headache."

Harry wasn't happy at being woken up in the earliest hours of the morning with a gender-bending lunatic, but it's not like he could help the situation.

"I should have never let him learn that," he gritted.

He found Draco near the girls' bathroom, staring into the courtyard distractedly.

Harry smacked his face. "I _really_ shouldn't have let you learn that." Harry pointed an accusatory finger at the blonde. "Why the hell are you wearing _that._ "

Draco was a girl alright, and _was_ wearing a not so modest nightgown. She briefly glanced at him. "If you going to act like that, should I remind you of-"

"No! No! Never mind!" Harry dismissed hastily, sighing in frustration. "Dude-"

"I'm a girl, Harry."

"Fuck, whatever! Why are calling me here _now._ "

"Why do you think, you moron! We have to talk!"

"Can't we do this tomorrow?"

"It is tomorrow."

"I don't need a smartarse! I'm exhausted!"

"Well, anyway, is it still the same plan?"

"Of course it is. Why?"

Draco eyed him, worry visible in her baby blue eyes. "For starters, you die."

"Does it really bother you that much? I mean, we've done this many times."

"Exactly, _many_ times. Do you think it will change anything _this_ time?"

Harry paused, thinking. "I don't see why not."

"I do. You _die,_ Harry."

"Yeah, so what? If you ca-"

"That's _not_ okay, Harry. You can't just shrug it off like its nothing."

Harry sighed, rubbing his head. "Okay, fine, we'll shake things up. But don't come crying to me when we _both_ die."

"Dying together isn't bad. Watching you die is far worse."

Harry gave Draco a disbelieving look. "Okay, seriously, you have got stop this gender-bending business. You're confusing the hell out of me lately."

Draco faced him fully, the nightgown she wore showed off a little of the lingerie underneath.

"Scratch that, you _creeping_ me out."

How on earth Draco was able to sneak around in that, would always escape him.

"What's the problem?" She stretched a bit, showing off more cleavage. "I'm a hundred percent girl at this moment. We proved it."

Harry turned his head away and pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. " _Don't_ remind me. I still have nightmares about it."

Draco shrugged. "So who do we start with?"

"Who do you think? We need Fleur first."

"But I hate that 'Oh I'm a Veela and no one really loves me' attention seeking bitch. She's such a drama queen."

"You've got any better ideas?"

"Cho."

"Fuck no!"

"Oh _come on_ , you liked her here, right? I promise I won't get jealous."

"She'd blow up in the next second, you idiot!"

Draco collected herself, frowning. "Oh yeah…that was really bad."

Harry huffed. "In any case, we still have two days left. So time is running out. If worse comes to worse, though, I am beating the shit out of Dumbledore. Fuck the world."

"… Testy."

"I'm cranky in the morning, sue me."

"I've got other ideas in mind to ease that." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"… You know something? You're a freaking pervert when you're a girl."

Draco shrugged, taking the accusation in stride. "I think it's these hormones."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed."

"Already? You suck."

"No, _you_ suck."

"… Suck what? Hehehe~"

"Fuck! I did _not_ need that image, bitch!"

"You thought it, not me. It isn't my fault that you have a naughty mind… or maybe it is?"

Harry groaned, walking away from Draco. "Two days, Fleur. Today, nothing. Don't cause too much of a scene. People are already suspicious of us after yesterday."

"Why should they be, though? It's not like we're imposters or anything. Sure, we're a bit different."

"Just don't do anything crazy. Like walking around in _that_."

"Fine, fine. See you later."

"Right."

"And Harry?"

"What?"

"Love you too."

"Oh my God, you freak! Stop it!"

* * *

 **If you're confused and wondering what the hell did you just read, don't worry, almost** **everyone else who read this is on the same boat as you** **.** **Actually, I already know how the rest of the story goes, and perhaps things will make a little more sense to you with additional chapters. Just ask and you shall receive, okay? ;)**

 **Also a hint: Keep it firmly in mind that time travel is a dominant theme in this story. If you don't, the next few chapters (which I might post if I get enough reviews) will STILL confuse the hell out of you.**

 **Come on, you know you want more. Don't you want to find out why Harry and Draco are like that? It didn't just happen out of the blue, you know (whoops, I gave that away).**

 **I question why I even wrote such a messed up fic. But I don't know, I just felt like testing how crazy I can make the Potterverse. It actually disturbed me on how fluid I could write this. Don't even know what to call Draco and Harry's relationship (Slash-** _ **ish**_ **?). Well, in any case, I just felt like writing something weird yet thought provoking. I have no idea if I'll continue this or leave it as it is. I guess that's all up to you.**

 **Until next time, people, PEACE!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Notes: Okay, so here's the deal. I realised that the opening chapter of this story isn't quite enough. From my standpoint, it seems too short. So I decided to post up an update regardless of reception.**_

 _ **Hmm…I was surprised when I browsed through my reviews and someone actually liked what I was doing. Wow, thank you. You have no idea how close I was to just leaving this as one weird and unsatisfactory one-shot.**_

 _ **Right, aside from that, from now, I'm going to give this story a little more**_ _ **attention**_ _ **and**_ _ **detail**_ _ **. I realised that even though the story is quite weird and out of my element, it has tremendous potential. And I was a bit lazy in the first chapter.**_

 _ **Another thing: The whole slash debacle. If you're a fan of thought sort of thing, then you're going to be pretty disappointed with the lack of it in this story. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who write that sort of thing (and maybe I might blend some elements into the story later) but as a straight guy who has never wrote that before, I find it pretty uncomfortable to write about two guys falling in love and stuff. So forgive me for that, cause that's just the way it is.**_

 _ **Let's continue on, shall we?**_

* * *

Hermione was a very perceptive person. She took keen interest in things that would usually turn away or bore the next person. It came with its benefits. She would gain much knowledge and experience. Even though most of the time, the things she knew amounted to nothing in practical use, they still mattered to the young Granger girl.

Sometimes she was too interested in things that didn't matter at all, actually. Like for example, she had memorised the details for the Hogwarts Express. She knew how to describe the scarlet gleaming steam engine – from the copious amounts of steam respiring out of each end of the front, to the well-maintained grooves of its wheels. People wouldn't care about that. but it was her nature, who she was. No one could fault her for wanting to better herself and the people she cared about with what she knew.

Speaking of which, Harry was a subject for her inquisitiveness. Before entering Hogwarts – no, even before _that_ – Harry had acted oddly.

Her mind could clearly remember snippets of the conversation they had on the train. It was casual – like an everyday thing - until Durmstrang was mentioned.

" _Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" asked Harry._

" _Yes," Hermione said sniffily, "and it's got a horrible reputation. According to an Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts."_

" _I think I've heard of it," said Ron vaguely. "Where is it? Which country?"_

" _Well, nobody knows, do they?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows._

" _Er – why not?" Harry asked._

" _There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets," said Hermione matter-of-factly._

 _Harry briefly stiffened, mouth clamping shut suddenly. His jaded eyes took on a darker look, before coming back to life again._

" _Come off it," Ron started laughing. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts – how are you going to hide a great big castle?"_

 _Before Hermione could comment, she was thwarted by Harry._

" _Hogwarts is hidden," Harry mumbled, just loud enough for Ron and Hermione to pick up the words._

 _Hermione was surprised Harry knew that. She was under the impression that her book smarts were ahead of her friends again. But, evidently, that was far from the case._

She had been certain that the rain would the only oddity of that day. But Harry became silent – extremely silent. He would vaguely answer when she and Ron asked him about something, and the trip to Hogwarts turned slightly quiet and uneventful.

After that, things took a turn for the bizarre. He apparated, _apparated,_ to the Great Hall. He wasn't even seventeen to take Apparition classes, but he knew how to perform such dangerous magic like it was nothing. _That's_ what got her so obsessed with finding out how Harry did it – not because he did, but because he did it _effortlessly._

And then Malfoy added to the weird, sitting on their table and having a back and forth conversation with Harry like they just spoke a few minutes prior. But if she remembered when Draco came to their compartment on the train – making fun of Ron's robes and boasting sadistically about how great his father was – then their conversation in the Great Hall made even _less_ sense.

As if things couldn't get any more outlandish, Draco transformed into a _girl_ and _flirted_ with Harry, in front of the whole Great Hall, like it was something natural. The people that were too far away couldn't hear the anomalous conversation, but she was right there. She heard _everything._

She had expected people to be talking animatedly about the subject. But it seemed that a lot had run to the habitual conclusion that Draco was just trying to annoy Harry again – which would make sense since Harry looked exceedingly peeved off in instances. Although the rumour mill hadn't completely died down, people weren't taking what happened yesterday that seriously. Even the professors, who Hermione had hoped could bring about order, looked like they knew nothing.

Today also, almost everyone she saw acted like nothing happened and she could not fathom why.

It wasn't a particularly bright morning. Heavy clouds decorated the sky gloomily. Perhaps it might have explained her not so happy mood.

She was somewhat agitated, almost flat-out ignoring the discussion she was having with Ron and Harry about their new course schedule.

She didn't get it! Why wasn't Ron grilling Harry about what happened? Why wasn't Harry telling them what was _really_ going on? Did he have _that_ little trust in them? Or maybe he _did_ talk to Ron, and decided that she wouldn't be included in the secret. It was practically driving her off the wall.

"Today's not bad… outside all morning," Ron said, running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. "Herbology with Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures… damn it, we're still with the Slytherins…"

Hermione perked up. They were still with Slytherin House, which meant they were still sharing classes with Draco.

Usually, she would question those she wished to find out answers from. But she was worried that if she asked Harry too many questions, he would clamp up immediately. There was no way in hell she was going to ask Draco anything.

So, settling in her mind that she would observe Harry and Draco's impending conversation at Care of Magical Creatures, she participated more earnestly with a two mates' interaction.

"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry deadpanned, looking bored. Actually, he looked like he already knew and didn't really care.

Hermione was already struggling with her conviction to observe.

* * *

Nothing happened…nothing! Hermione was expecting Harry and Draco to have another weird dialogue exchange. She was hoping to see something when Hagrid showed them Blast-Ended Skrewts, but Draco acted like… well, Draco.

He seemed like the complete opposite of the relaxed and flirtatious prick she witnessed yesterday. It aggravated her so much that _no one was saying anything about it_! Seriously, not even an uncomfortable glance or a snide comment? It was just so perplexing.

She all but gave up when evening approached and she came to the Gryffindor table with her two friends – Ron complaining about Professor Trelawny and Harry halfheartedly lending him an ear. She could hardly taste the lamb chops and potatoes served on the table. Hell, she could barely focus on anything. Rights of the House-elves? What rights of the House-elves?

"Weasley. Hey… *Sigh* …Weasley."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there. Crabbe and Goyle looked thoroughly pleased about something. Draco just looked completely jaded.

"What?" Ron said shortly.

Draco looked up in the air and shook his head, as if not believing something. He focused his gaze on him again. "Uh… your dad's in the paper," he droned, scratching his hair and sounding like he didn't give a crap. He lazily flaunted a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and spoke… very insipidly, like he was rehearsing lines from some terrible play. He looked around, gesturing to everyone around him noncommittedly. "Listen to this."

Learners were not sure whether Draco was being serious or not. He looked like he was tired and wanted to go to bed. Even then, though – and after some of them were interested in what Draco had in store – they greedily heeded.

Draco raised a brow at the attention, not really surprised. He sighed again and looked to his side, grimacing. "Do I really have to?"

No one knew who he was talking to.

Another sigh, and Draco acted a little more serious. He cleared his throat and began:

 _FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

 _It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita skitter, Special Correspondent_ "Ahem! Insert Animagus Beetle Bitch". _Recently Under fire for its poor crowd control of the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches_ "Bitches – hehehe~", _the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office"_

Draco looked up, yawning and trying to cover it.

"Imagine them not getting his name right, yadda, yadda, yadda. It's almost as though he's a complete nobody… Wait, I did say nonentity last time, right? Yeah, now I remember. _Nonentity,_ not nobody _."_

Hermione couldn't keep her eyes away from the interaction, surprised that Draco was starting to act weird again.

Ron was eyeing Draco, too, not sure whether he should be angry or confused.

Everyone from the entrance hall was listening now. Draco straightened the paper sluggishly and read on:

 _Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr Weasley appears to have rushed of "Mad Eye" Moody, the ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer_ Daily Prophet _questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

" _Man_ , this was some boring shit… But you get the picture, ne, Weasley?" said Draco languidly, tossing the paper over his head. It hit a student square in the chin. "A picture of your folks… parents I mean, outside their house – if you can call it a house. Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she…? No, I'm actually serious about that. That woman needs to lose at least a kilogram. I know a special remedy that could help?"

Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him, waiting for a dramatic reaction.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. He stood up. "C'mon Ron…"

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Draco sneered haphazardly. "So tell me… you know how I can mail my special remedy to his mother? I can even do it tomorrow."

People were already snickering. Ron was a boiling kettle of rage.

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy?" said Harry – both he and Hermione held the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy – "she's so ugly that curses fly _away_ from her."

Everyone's mouth dropped in surprise. Draco only raised an irritated eyebrow.

But Harry wasn't finished, he grinned maniacally. "And when Kristopher Kringle became Santa Clause and looked at her, he said: "Ho, ho, _holy shit._ "

The people around them burst into laughter. A lot of them never expected that out of Harry. Even Hermione couldn't keep it together. She had no idea how Harry knew ex-Professor Kristopher Kringle, but that knowledge – in her opinion – added to the hilarity. She giggled, struggling to control herself. She shouldn't have found it funny, but she did.

Ron lost it long ago. His anger at Draco insulting his mother was long forgotten. He rolled on the ground, clutching his sides.

Draco snarled in Harry's direction. "Oh, it's on, motherfucker!"

He pointed his wand at Harry.

BANG!

Several people screamed. Harry merely stood, indifferently looking on. He didn't make a move to stop the attack, merely whistling an inaudible tune.

There was a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

Harry turned his head and noticed Moody, hand pointed out at a white ferret in the place of Draco.

Silence engulfed the entrance hall. Nobody but Moody was moving – only Harry kept careful eyes on him. Moody turned to look at Harry, with his normal eye, at least.

"Did he get you?" Moody growled in a low, gruff voice.

Harry raised his hands by his sides. "Nope."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.

"Say what now?" asked Harry.

"Not you – him!" Moody growled – seemed like it was his thing – jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret.

The ferret ran in a random direction and Moody quickly limped after it.

"I don't think so!" he roared, pointing his wand at the ferret again.

It flew into the air, fell with a smack to the floor and bounced upwards again.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody.

He really liked to growl, Harry noted. The young wizard put up his hand – everyone's attention was on him now. "My back wasn't turned. I was staring right at him."

Moody blinked at him – well, his good eye did. He turned back to the ferret which was squealing in pain.

"… I still don't like it! Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…"

"Okay?" Harry drawled, noticing that Moody wasn't even bothering to listen properly.

"Never – do – that – again" he growled some more, each word uttered as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced again.

Harry winced and whispered, "That has _got_ to hurt."

"Professor Moody!" McGonagall screamed, shocked. She hurried down the marble staircase with her arms full of books

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret higher.

Wha-what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall watched the ferret in the air.

"Teaching," Moody said simply.

"Teach-Moody, is that a _student_?!" shrieked McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," Harry chimed before Moody could. The young Potter pointed to the ferret like it was the simplest thing imaginable. "That's Draco."

"No!" cried McGonagall. She ran down the stairs, pulled out her wand, and after a snapping noise, Draco reappeared, barely managing to catch himself before hitting the floor.

"Will _never_ get used to that," Malfoy winced out, trying to right himself and failing.

"Moody, we _never_ use Transfiguration as punishment!" lectured McGonagall feebly. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody said, scratching his chin uncaringly, "but I thought a good sharp shock– "

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Draco with great Dislike.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'll tell my father on you, Crazy Eyes."

"Oh, yeah?" Moody muttered, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy – "

"You do? What's his favourite colour?"

Moody's good eyebrow twitched irritably. "… You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son… You tell him that for me."

"I think he might take that the wrong way," Draco commented, shivering. "Hell, _I'm_ taking it the wrong way."

"Just do it!" Moody, unsurprisingly, growled. "Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Draco sighed, sounding tired.

"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape… Come on, you…"

He seized Draco's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons

Hermione watched as McGonagall waved her wand and her fallen books soared back into her arm.

"Don't talk to me." She turned back to Ron, surprised at what he said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," he answered, eyes closed and an enriching expression on his face. "Draco Malfoy, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!"

Harry kept quiet but Hermione laughed, and she began doling beef casserole onto all of their plates.

"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," she said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it– "

"Hermione!" shouted Ron, furious. His eyes snapped open again. "You're ruining the best moment of my life!"

Hermione made an impatient noise and began to eat.

Harry had yet to sit down. He began walking towards the hall entrance.

"Harry, where're you going?" Ron asked, perplexed.

"Sorry, guys. I'll see you later," was all he said before getting out of ear-shot.

Ron sighed, vexation clearly visible on his face. "Now the moment is truly ruined. What's up with him?"

Hermione wanted to know, too. It wasn't natural for them to keep things from each other, especially Harry himself. But it was plainly obvious that he was hiding something big, and refused to reveal it to anyone – except Malfoy maybe? The blond Slytherin was definitely in on whatever was going on. But it seemed like even he hasn't spoken to anyone about it.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to know, even if it meant breaking curfew.

* * *

"I hate that piece of shit!"

Harry stared calmly outside of a window, his elbows were perched on the sill. The abandoned classroom he was in had darkened thanks to the night sky. Hogwarts' torches illuminated the ground underneath and gave off a beautiful multitude of yellow and red.

"If it wasn't for the fact that he was a catalyst, I would have roasted him long ago!"

Tearing his eyes away from the school grounds, Harry turned his head and eyed Draco. He was a she again, resting her bum on a classroom table and complaining. She wasn't wearing anything fancy today, just standard pink and red spotted pyjamas fit for a girl.

"At least it worked. Imagine if it didn't! That almost _happened_ , you know!" Harry shouted, eyes narrowing.

Draco's blue eyes connected with his jade, and she noted how upset he seemed. "What's the matter?"

"You," he pointed a stiff finger at her, "almost ruined everything!"

"Oh relax. The plan went exactly as it should have. And the yo mama jokes, really, Harry?" said Draco.

"It was the only way I was sure you'd get pissed off. Would it have killed you to act a little interested?"

Draco sputtered, a little angry herself. "After doing this shit over and over again, are you crazy?!"

Harry breathed out. "Look – "

"No, _you_ look, arsehole! Do you think I like being turned into that thing? You don't understand what it _feels_ like! It's damn nasty to be a ferret. I'd like to see _you_ do it a hundred times and not get angry about it!"

Harry's eyes softened. "I get it. I'm sorry."

"You should be," said Draco, pouting and folding her arms. She looked away from him childishly.

Harry sighed, exasperated. "Okay, let's change the subject. Cool?"

"… Fine."

"We have to be careful not to make the wrong move this time."

Draco finally looked at him again and nodded in agreement. "So, we leave Barty Crouch Jr. alone then?"

"We have to for now – like you said, he's a catalyst."

"So if we mess with him, then we're all fucked," Draco surmised, not looking happy.

"Pretty much," answered Harry. He went to a desk closest to Draco and sat on it.

Draco eyed him anxiously. She whispered shyly, "Harry– "

"No."

"Oh come on! You didn't even know what I was about to say!"

"I _do_ know and the answer _is_ no!"

"… Not even a quickie?"

There was a sound of shuffling by the door. Harry and Draco turned to it and saw Hermione.

"I knew that something was going on. I had a hunch that you two wouldn't be in your respective rooms."

They didn't look at all surprised by her visit. Harry and Draco looked at each other, equally neutral.

"That… was quicker than the last time," said Draco.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"You're not talking to us, Harry. Something is going on here, and you're not saying anything." Hermione walked into the classroom. "And now here you are, in Professor Snape's classroom, with… Draco?"

Draco nodded her head. "You've got that right."

Hermione paused the question she was about to ask the blonde. She turned to Harry, hurt visible in her eyes. "Do me and Ron mean _that_ little to you? Are we really friends, Harry?"

Harry put a hand up, stopping Hermione from saying more. "We _are_ friends. And you're right. There is something going on, but for your safety, I can't tell you much about it."

"At least give me something, Harry. The things you do; the things you know… I'm very worried about you."

She definitely was. Her face said it all.

Harry rubbed his head and groaned. "Well, it can't be helped."

"Harry," said Draco warningly.

"It's fine. She has the right to at least know something."

"I hope you're not forgetting that she became an event trigger."

"No, but that was because she knew – "

"Too much, yes, I know. Just because we know that doesn't mean we can try and fix it now," Draco said, slightly angry.

Harry glared at her. "We'll be careful this time, okay?"

They stared each other down for quite some time.

Hermione wasn't sure if she should get a word in, fearful of not getting anything out of them.

Draco seriously did not look like Draco. Hermione had initially mistaken her for someone else until she realised that the only logical person that could be with Harry and had blonde hair was Malfoy. She felt like she should query about Draco's kinks, but decided to wait.

Draco relented. "Okay, but if she becomes an event trigger, you'd better take me out!"

Harry made a sour face, squinting his eyes in apparent disgust. "F-fine. You've got a deal. But _only_ if you're a girl. At least then I can be assured that I'm still straight."

Draco smiled brilliantly. She happily turned to Hermione. "Great news, Granger, you get to found out what the hell is the matter with us!"

"… Okay?"

Harry shook his head in displeasure – he hopped off the table. "I think you need to sit down for this, Hermione."

Hermione hurriedly went to a seat. She had forgotten all about breaking curfew and whose class she was in.

Harry rubbed his head. He briefly noted that he did that a lot. "Before I say anything more. I need you to know that we're from the future."

"Yep," chirped Draco. "We're not from here."

"We _are_ from here," Harry deadpanned. "Here is where it started."

Draco put a finger on her chin. "… Hmm. Well, if you say it like that, then I guess it makes sense."

Hermione was shocked – so shocked she had yet to say anything.

Harry noticed. "I know it seems unbelievable, but it's true."

Hermione gathered herself quickly, desperate for an explanation. "I don't think you have it in you to lie to me, Harry. But if it's true, why come to the past?"

"I thought she'd be shocked longer than that. That's Hermione for you," Draco said.

Hermione turned to her. "Did you just call me Hermione?"

"Forget that," Harry interrupted. "We have to get this out of the way. We don't have much time."

"O-oh, okay," Hermione responded.

"We came to the past, but not voluntarily."

Hermione furrowed her brows. "You were forced here?"

"It wasn't exactly forced – more like, a mistake," Draco said.

"… I don't understand."

"You will in a bit, but the reason that Draco and I are here now – in the past – is because of one thing," said Harry.

"… What is it?" Hermione asked, getting uncomfortable with the silence.

"The Triwizard Tournament."

* * *

 _ **Well… it's a cliffhanger (NOOOOOO!).** **You probably wanted more, but I felt like it would lead up to an unavoidable info dump, and trust me, no one wants that – so I cut out that bit (it needs to be edited). Don't worry, though, the explanation is in the next update, which will be a pretty LONG one, mind you.**_

 _ **As you've noticed, I took out snippets from JK's book and added my own kind of flare. It was meant to make the story a little more credible. That doesn't mean I take any credit from JK Rowling.**_

 _ **So I hope you're enjoying the story. I won't lie, guys, it wasn't easy to think up, because I'm trying very carefully not to create any loopholes. Loopholes suck, people, and it really takes away most of the enjoyment in reading.**_

 _ **So anyway, please support my stuff and review! Thanks for taking the time to read! Until next time, have a splendid day!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Notes: Hey, guys. I'm back! So, I wasn't hoping for too much on this story, but I did feel like its got a lot of potential. I decided go with the flow right now. My initial goal was to get a substantial amount of reviews before I continued on. Now, I know that's hoping for a little too much. So I decided to just write and not focus on reception. Anyway, this story is intended to have a little silliness here and there, but please don't let it catch you off guard if it has some pretty… not-so-silly moments. Don't want to give too much away, just enjoy the ride, folks! Keep in mind, some of JK's snippets are also used in this chapter. But it won't be long before a canon divergence – I promise.**_

* * *

Harry paced back-and-forth while Hermione sat at the closet desk and Draco, still a girl, sat _on_ the closest desk. The classroom was still gloomily dark, but it seemed that no one would be stopping by anytime soon.

The young genius was wondering why it was taking so long for Harry to start his story. Now that she had time to really look at him, she noticed differences in mannerism from the boy she knew last year. He wasn't shy anymore, not by any means of the word. His eyes were, if she dared say, much, much colder than she ever remembered. Of course, they were minor differences, but definitely pronounced with his actions. Since Harry was still brooding in the front, Hermione decided to turn her attention to the cheerful Slytherin carelessly swinging her legs next to her.

It was more than weird to see a completely different side to Draco's usual rough, confrontational attitude. The blonde she was staring at seemed like any normal girl – if you call making a huge commotion in the Great Hall anything normal. She hated Draco, but found her hate misplaced with _this_ Draco. She didn't know why. It disturbed her, but Draco's body language was fairly open and inviting.

As awkward as it was, she decided to get some clarity until Harry felt like opening up.

"Uh… Draco?" she said softly, honestly not sure if it was the right idea.

Draco stopped swinging her legs and immediately turned to Hermione. She smiled at her. "Yes, Granger?"

 _Okay, calm down. No matter how crazy this is, you need act cool and get some answers,_ Hermione told herself.

She thought carefully on what to ask and was mindful not to go all in yet. "Why…? How…? I-I…"

The bookworm was mildly frustrated that nothing productive seemed to be coming out.

"Why am I a girl? Why did I cause that commotion yesterday? How's any of this possible?"

Hermione numbly nodded.

Draco's smile didn't falter. "The best person to explain that is right in front of us."

"Give me a moment – still thinking," Harry said across from them, looking more like he was talking to himself.

Hermione frowned, finding his answer more perplexing than his earlier activities. "Can't you just start from the beginning? Do you really have to think so much about it?"

"He has to," Draco confirmed, serious now. "There are things he can say, and there are things he can't."

"Ooh," Hermione whispered, realisation hitting her harder than she expected. "I can't know too much for the sake of why you're here?"

"Got it in one!" Draco cheered. "You know, I'm starting to think telling you some stuff won't royally fuck us over later."

Flinching at the carelessly worded curse, Hermione found herself a lot more at ease with Draco's friendly demeanour. "Thanks… I guess. Uhm… is it okay if I ask _you_ a few questions?"

The request caused Draco to pause, and a frown to crown her forehead. "I just-"

"I know what you said, and my questions only concern _you_. If you don't want to answer them, I understand."

Draco rolled her eyes till they faced the ceiling. It took some time before she said, "Ready yet, Harry?"

"Sort of."

"Fine, I'll answer you, Granger. Go ahead," Draco beckoned.

Although elated with being given the go-ahead by Malfoy, Hermione was still a bit nervous. A lot of things would obviously not be in her favour. She was literally a blank slate that had no idea what's to come in the near future. Harry and Draco knew, although she was still a tad sceptical on their credibility as time travellers. She loved knowledge, and didn't think it was in her to stop until she knew everything about something. Asking too many questions could be bad, actually. Telling herself to be careful wasn't doing her any favours.

Draco noticed the way Hermione's fingers flexed on the desk they rested on. She also noticed how visible uneasy and out of place Hermione seemed – her eyes darting left and right, legs restless underneath the table. She offered another reassuring smile to the shorter brunette. "It's okay. I don't bite anymore, I promise."

Was that a metaphor? Hermione was troubled she couldn't really answer that.

"Well… Your change in behaviour is certainly jarring to me."

"Is that a question?" Draco giggled, then waved off her response. "What I can say is that I feel things a lot differently now than when I'm my normal, boy self."

"Your emotions aren't the same when you change?" Hermione pressed.

"Yeah. When I'm a guy, I'm pretty laidback and in tune with what I'm feeling… sometimes. When I'm a girl, though, it's like a switch in me flips. I can get pretty emotional fast and babies make me gush like mad! Babies! Can you believe it?! Even now, I don't get why cute kids affect me like that."

All Hermione picked up was that the different versions of Draco had vastly different personalities.

"Oh, and I'm crazy about Harry when I'm like this."

That comment stopped Hermione's train of thought. She couldn't believe she just heard that from Draco Malfoy, Pure-blooded Scum of the Year.

"Think I'm lying? Or maybe you think I'm gay? No on both, Granger."

Hermione peered at her. "You're a real girl right now?"

"Yes."

Stopping herself from asking for proof, she decided to keep the conversation neutral.

"Does your male persona also like Harry that way?"

"My male persona has no such feelings. He's more platonic."

"Aren't you one in the same, though?"

"To a point, yes. He kind of goes to the back of my mind and comments on things when I take over. He can hear, see and taste what I can if he wants to, but only his subconscious exits when I'm in charge of this body."

"… It all sounds very complicated."

"It is, and a _long_ story."

"Okay, enough. I'm ready to get started," Harry said. He sounded more like he wanted to stop the conversation in its tracks.

Hermione gladly allowed the break to process what Draco had just told her. There was a lot that she had already gathered from her little interaction with the platinum blonde. And she was positive that there was more to Draco's confession than merely doing someone like her a favour. She decided to wait.

Draco brushed her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Guess we have to cut it short for now, but if you want to know more than don't hesitate."

Hermione's first – expected – instinct was to recoil at Malfoy's touch. But the feeling conveyed so much warmth and comfort that Hermione was surprised that she smiled at her. "Okay, I'll hold you to that."

 _Merlin, I must be losing my mind!_

Harry eyed the two girls, deciding to allow their moment to pass. Once the opportune moment came, he spoke, "Hermione."

The girl quickly turned to him.

"Because the information I have is highly sensitive, I've decided to at least give you the bare minimum of our past activities. It won't be much, and I'm sorry for that, but I have little choice in the matter."

"I'm alright with it, Harry. I just need something," Hermione responded.

Harry gave her long look.

"Okay then. I'll start at the closing stages of the Triwizard Tournament…"

* * *

" _On three, right?" Harry said, focused – his eyes switching from Cedric to the Triwizard Cup. "One-two-three-"_

 _He and Cedric both grabbed the cup quite desperately._

 _Instantly, Harry felt his body jerk from where he stood. The clenched hand couldn't break its hold on the cup. Harry felt like his whole arm would tear from its socket as the cup pulled him and Cedric inward. Before he knew what was happening, it was too late; they disappeared in a howl of swirling wind, leaving no evidence of their presence behind._

 _Harry felt his feet touch the ground, but due to his leg injury, he tripped on his footing and dropped to the grassy soil. The cup was released from his hold and he couldn't help the relief that washed through him. He looked up._

" _Where are we?"_

 _Cedric had no clue either. He stood up and helped Harry to his feet. They both looked around, exhaustion and anxiousness written on their faces._

 _They were not on Hogwarts grounds. In fact, they seemed to be miles away, standing in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the silhouette depicting a church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. Harry could barely see a building over a hill to his left._

 _Cedric stood with the cup in his hand, struggling to take everything around him in. He turned to Harry, hand on the cup visibly trembling._

" _Did anyone tell_ _ **you**_ _that the cup was a Portkey?" Cedric asked._

" _Nope," Harry answered distractedly, looking around the graveyard and picking up on its eerie atmosphere. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"_

" _I dunno," Cedric said, nerves starting to show. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"_

" _Yeah."_

 _They took out their wands, more alert now. Harry had his eyes scanning the vicinity. He felt like there were eyes on him._

" _Someone's coming," he said, eyes squinted._

 _They watched a figure approach them, short and looking like it was holding something using both arms. They couldn't quite see who it was, as the figure was obscured by a black hood. The closer the figure got, the more Harry noticed what it was carrying. It seemed like a baby, a very bundle-of-robes kind of baby, if there was such a thing._

 _Harry looked at Cedric, who was giving him the same baffled glance. They began to lower their wands, even if Harry felt they shouldn't._

 _Harry and Cedric stared at the figure as it stopped. Again, Harry felt like they should be more on guard._

 _It was too late._

 _Pain shot through his scar. He grabbed it in agony, releasing his wand in the process. He dropped to his knees. He could barely see anything through the white, hot pain that shot through his head._

 _Cedric was startled. He struggled to focus on the figure and Harry at the same. It was a mistake he could not afford._

" _Kill the spare."_

 _Cedric pivoted to the figure. Before he could do anything more, a wand was pointed at him._

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

 _A blast of green light wheezed passed Harry's field of vision. Right after, he heard something heavy fall next to him with a thud. He dreaded what he would see. His eyes focused; he swiftly turned to where he heard the noise, and his heart sank to his stomach._

 _Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him, dead._

* * *

Hermione noticed Harry stopped himself from speaking further. His cold visage broke out into a haunted one. He looked quite out of touch with reality – his head slightly bowed and eyes glazed over. His jaw was tight.

Hermione wanted to say something, but Draco beat her to the punch.

"Harry?" she called. She had a very worried frown on her face, and that made Hermione even more worried.

He snapped out of his daze and faced the girls again. Still looking troubled, he offered and apologetic smile. "Sorry…"

"It's okay," Draco consoled soothingly, honestly shocking Hermione.

The young Granger took careful glances at the two as they stared at each other. She wondered if they were actually… a couple.

Could they be? Draco wasn't too forthright about what her relationship with Harry actually was. She seemed openly coy with him and had earlier sad that she was 'crazy' about him. But still, that wasn't quite enough to understand what was going on between the two.

"Okay… okay," Harry whispered, gathering himself. "Are you following the story so far?"

There was a pause. It took some time for Hermione to realise that the question was directed at her.

"Yes, Harry. I'm very shocked. It's a lot to take in and still somewhat confusing."

Harry nodded his head. "That's fine. I get it. Let me fill in some of the gaps. I was selected to be a Triwizard Champion."

Hermione's eyes widened at the admission. "Was that allowed?"

"No, only people who are seventeen and older can participate. I shouldn't have been chosen."

"I see. Is there anything from before the moment that you and Cedric were transported to a graveyard that you can tell me?" she asked, letting her usual self out in the open.

"Very little, I'm afraid."

Hermione's lips thinned. "… Okay, what happened next then – after… Cedric?"

She wasn't comfortable with dealing with the fact that the popular Hufflepuff was going to be killed meaninglessly. She wasn't comfortable with any notion of death, especially because of an event that was centuries old and well-revered.

Harry began pacing again, but this time he started talking. "Let's see. After Cedric died, Voldemort used my blood to revive himself. He called Death Eaters and sort of staged a duel between him and I. I barely survived thanks to Cedric's ghost and my parents-"

Hermione stopped him with a hand in the air.

"Yes?" Harry said.

"You saw your parents?" Hermione asked, hopeful and bright all the same.

Harry gave her a quizzical look. He hadn't expected Hermione to hold on to that part. "Yes, in a sense. Look, I'm not sure if I was hallucinating or not at the time-"

"No, Harry, it's great. And they protected you, too. The moment you were in danger, they were with you."

Although Harry was confused with Hermione's angle, Draco already knew.

"You really worry about him, don't you?" Draco said.

"Of course I do. He's my best friend."

"Mhm." Draco hummed, looking unconvinced.

Hermione was mildly bothered by the strange look Draco sent her. But it was too fleeting, and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Can I continue?" Harry asked.

Both girls nodded in consensus.

"Where was I again…? Oh yeah, I ran away, took Cedric's body and grabbed the cup… Thought it was going to send me back to Hogwarts, but as it turned out, the cup wasn't just a Portkey…"

* * *

" _Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" asked Harry._

" _Yes," Hermione said sniffily, "and it's got a horrible reputation. According to an Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts._

" _I think I've heard of it," said Ron vaguely. "Where is it? Which country?"_

" _Well, nobody knows, do they?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows._

" _Er – why not?" Harry asked._

" _There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets," said Hermione matter-of-factly._

 _Harry briefly stiffened, mouth clamping shut suddenly. His jaded eyes took on a darker look, before coming back to life again._

 _In the next instant, he sobbed heartedly. His eyes were wide open, like he had just stared death in the face._

 _Ron cut what he was about to say and stared at Harry in shock. "Harry, bloody hell, mate, don't scare me like that!"_

 _Harry didn't hear him. He looked around frantically, seemingly in confusion and utter terror. His whole body shook violently._

" _Cedric… Cedric!"_

 _Hermione was beside him in an instant, holding his shoulders gently. "Harry-Harry! Calm down. What's wrong? What happened?"_

 _Harry's eyes stared at her, frantically scanning her features._

" _H…Hermione?" he choked out, looking completely mystified even as tears leaked out of his eyes._

 _Hermione's brow knit into a frown. She decided to play along and get to the bottom of the outburst._

" _Yes, Harry. What's the matter?"_

 _Even Ron was finding it difficult to tell what was happening in front of him._

 _Harry looked at his hands, front and back. He looked around him, glowering in confusion._

" _Harry," Hermione coaxed, keeping her voice gentle._

 _He looked at her._

" _Tell me, what's wrong?"_

" _I'd like to know, too, mate. Did someone cast a curse on you?"_

"… _Cedric," he barely got out._

 _Hermione peered at him. "Cedric? Cedric who?"_

 _As if he was starting to register his surrounding, Harry looked around again. "Where's Cedric? Where am I?"_

" _You're on the Hogwarts Express, Harry; we're headed for school. As for this Cedric person… I honestly don't know who you're talking about," said Hermione. Did he mean Cedric Diggory? She couldn't be sure, because as far as she knew, they never crossed paths before, unless if you counted Quidditch._

" _Mate, this joke isn't funny anymore. Quite it now," said Ron, visibly frustrated._

 _Hermione glared at him, not liking his attitude towards an obviously distressed Harry._

 _Ron huffed and folded his arms, clearly not happy._

 _Hermione turned back to Harry, catching something he was saying._

"… _he told me to grab his body. I dashed, took his body and held the cup… I held the cup…"_

 _Hermione was severely concerned about Harry. He spoke hollowly, voice sounding lifeless. He had his head in his hands, hunched over and was speaking to himself._

 _It was at that time Draco appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently, they were curious about the shouting in the compartment while others simply didn't want to get involved out of fear or possible misunderstanding._

 _Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry's state of position. What he had to say died in his mouth as he took in the scene in front of him._

" _What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron asked stiffly, more pissed at the unwanted company._

 _Draco kept eyeing Harry. He noticed how he sobbed and swayed from side-to-side._

" _What's the matter, Potter? Did you finally realise what a failure of a wizard you are?" Draco sneered._

 _Hermione looked to shout at him, but Malfoy wasn't finished._

" _Heard your screaming from miles away. Cedric! Cedric! What was that about? You cried Diggory's name like he broke up with you!"_

 _Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly behind their ring leader._

 _Most would think Ron would lose it by now, but Hermione couldn't take it anymore._

" _Get out," she hissed, surprising everyone with her venom._

" _Do I look like I'm in your stupid compartment, Mudblood?" Draco snarkily said. He gestured to his feet, which had yet to enter the room._

" _No… It doesn't make any sense… It's a PortKey_ _ **and**_ _a Time-Turner?" Harry muttered._

" _And he's gone mad," Draco commented, finding delight in Harry's weird, but entertaining words. "Guess I can count you out on entering."_

" _Entering… Entering what?" asked Ron._

 _Draco's eyebrows rose when he turned to the young Weasley. "You don't_ _ **know**_ _?"_

" _Malfoy," Harry called, still hunched over with his face covered._

" _Oh, with how nuts you were acting, I'm surprised you're aware I'm here."_

" _Is Cedric alive?"_

" _Diggory? I saw him a few paths down. Will let him know how much you were thinking of him."_

 _Draco snickered. He decided to leave. Hermione and Ron looked ready to explode and he thought he ruffled enough feathers._

 _Once he was gone, Hermione relaxed, somewhat._

 _She sat next to Harry again, comforting him and trying to find out about his outburst concerning – who she knew now – someone that belonged to Hogwarts._

 _Ron could not comprehend what was going on with his mate and how Diggory fit into the picture. In fact, he was immensely surprised that Draco knew exactly who Harry was talking about when he said Cedric. But the implications still weren't clear overall._

 _He sat across from Harry and Hermione, watching the mushy seen in exasperation. She was never like that when_ _ **he**_ _was distraught. So maybe he felt jealous that Hermione gave Harry a little too much attention._

* * *

"From then on, it was just one loop after another."

Hermione put up her hand.

"You don't have to do that, Hermione. This isn't a lesson," Harry deadpanned.

She ignored him and kept her hand up.

Harry sighed then gestured towards her. "Yes, Hermione?"

"From what I understand, that was your first loop?"

"Yeah."

"Draco wasn't much different then," she pointed out.

"He didn't loop with me yet. It took quite a few loops before he was included in the mess."

Hermione turned to Draco, hoping she would clarify.

"By the time I came around, Harry was already this brooding git that was pretty cold to anyone."

Hermione kept her eyes on Draco. She opened and closed her mouth a number of times, struggling to voice her thoughts.

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"… Can I hear your involvement in the time looping?"

"Another time."

Hermione frowned. "Is it delicate?"

"No, I'm just saving it until we have some girl time."

"Girl time?" she repeated, understanding but not really getting it.

"Yep."

Draco hopped off the table and stretched out her arms.

Hermione noticed Draco's choice of clothes and a deceptively stunning figure.

"Those actually look good on you," she found herself saying.

Draco smiled brightly at her. "Thanks! At least _someone_ compliments me!"

Harry just snorted and looked out the window.

"Harry, are you going to tell me more?"

"I think that's enough for now, Hermione," Harry responded, still looking away.

"But there are still so many gaps," Hermione reasoned.

"I'll tell you more in due time. Not now."

She turned to Draco, finding it more comfortable talking to her. "Has he always been this serious?"

"First few loops we did together, he was far, _far worse_ ," Draco revealed.

Harry flinched, but did nothing else.

"How worse?"

"…" Draco spared him a glance, silently asking for permission.

Harry waved her off. "You can tell her."

It seemed big, Hermione noted. She braced herself.

"He… he… didn't really care about anyone or anything but killing Voldemort. I was still a pure-blood prick because I was new to the whole time travelling thing. But… the dead bodies… there were a lot of dead bodies…"

She sounded like the recollection of events scarred her.

"Please, please tell me Harry didn't kill people!" Hermione shouted. She looked like she was ready to leap from her seat.

Draco gave her somewhat a guarded look. "Watching your friends die repeatedly, in front of you, can do a lot to you, Granger. And if those friends are as close as family, it can really destroy your character."

"He killed people," Hermione surmised, looking quite pale.

"Bad people," Draco corrected. "Although, he didn't treat the innocent any better."

"What does that mean?"

"He didn't care about _anyone or anything but_ _ **killing Voldemort**_. I am not mincing words. Everyone around him was a pawn to killing ol' Voldy. And he used a lot of people for his means. Sometimes… even the innocent were killed in the crossfire."

"… Even me?" Hermione asked softly.

Harry dropped his head a little, still looking out the window.

Draco looked uncomfortable herself. Her eyes darted left and right.

"… Yes. He was in a dark place. You need to understand that."

Hermione turned to Harry. She noted how he seemed like he wanted to retreat into himself. She didn't know if she should be angry at him for treating her like a piece on a chessboard or sympathise with his evidently horrendous journey. She chose the latter in the end.

"Are you that type of person now, Harry?" she dared ask.

"No," he said swiftly, finally looking at her. "As much as it pains me to admit, my time with Draco saved me from becoming a person who no longer cared about his friends. My actions then still haunt me now, but I'm prepared to live with the scars – I have no say in the matter. I'm sorry and I promise, I'll do whatever I can to protect you and everyone else."

He wasn't lying to her – she could tell it from his eyes. Relief flooded her form.

"I believe you," she said. "I'm really sorry you had to go through all that… How many loops have you gone throu-"

"We are not going to answer that," Draco declared.

Hermione frowned at her.

"It's not because it's classified information… It's just rather embarrassing," Draco sheepishly clarified.

"Fine. It still perplexes me how you act, Draco, and how friendly you are with Harry."

"We hated each other in the beginning of our… partnership, even killed each other a few times. What brought us together was being tortured to death this one time-"

"What?!" Hermione screamed. The fact that Harry and Draco had 'died' through her for a loop. "So you didn't use the Triwizard Cup to travel back?"

"Sometimes we couldn't. Death was another way to start the loop all over again, although I wouldn't recommend it," said Draco.

Not wanting to know the scarring details and saving her enquiries for another time, Hermione merely sat in place, staring blankly ahead.

"Okay, we need to leave now. Dumbledore should be passing by here in five minutes," said Harry.

Draco shrugged and looked at Hermione. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Did she actually imply that they hang out?

"Guess so," Hermione said uncomfortably, standing up and dusting herself off.

Draco smiled warmly at her and surprised the bookworm with an affectionate hug. Hermione hugged back on reflex, caught off guard. But once she settled, she noticed how nice and welcoming it felt, and how very feminine Draco was.

"You're really a girl," she said under her breath and was answered with a giggle.

"You still didn't believe me?" Draco asked when she let go.

"It's just… wow. I've never seen anything like this."

"You might never see it again after me."

"How do you get away with it? The Professors aren't dense, you know?"

"I'm a time traveller."

"Oh…"

Even so, it was still too surreal to believe that Harry and Draco were a duo on a mission to save the world from Voldemort.

Then something struck her.

She drew near Draco's ear and whispered, "Are you and Harry…together?"

"I wish," Draco whispered back. "But I'm working on it."

Hermione decided to leave it at that; she already had too much to think about.

She turned to Harry. He was staring at her. His eyes were cold, but for some reason she saw some type of protectiveness behind them. It kind of made her feel special.

"Let's go," he said, already walking out.

Draco stopped Hermione, eyeing her mischievously. "You can have him, too, but know one thing: I am going to be Head wife, non-negotiable."

Hermione stared at her with her mouth agape.

Quickly hugging her again, Draco gave her a jovial goodbye.

"Wait! Are you going to sleep like that!?"

"Sure. Crabbe and Goyle know better than to cop a feel."

"You're sleeping with Crabbe and Goyle?!"

"That is sick and wrong! No! I'm sleeping in my own bed – which happens to be in the same room."

"…"

"Well, anyway, see you tomorrow!"

Hermione stood motionless for a while. But then she remembered that she would get in trouble with Dumbledore if she stayed in Snapes' classroom. She hightailed it to her dorm, a little more satisfied that she knew a bit of what was really going on now and still unnerved with what she didn't.

Once she was safe in bed, she realised that there were so many questions gnawing at her.

For one, how powerful were Harry and Draco? Draco was an obvious one. He/she could shift genders with a wave of his/her wand – no one should be able to do that, not even Dumbledore! Harry was the mystery, though; one she was determined to figure out.

Another thing would be the Triwizard Tournament. From what she understood, it was a trap and Cedric would be the known fatality, or would he? Harry had only described one loop of events. It didn't necessarily mean that everything still played out the same way. There were innumerable scenarios that could transpire within repeated incidents.

Then there was the cup; the thing she had been certain was the cause if the whole mess. If time travel only concerned the cup, then it would be easy to say that someone was pulling the string from the shadows – someone unknown to everyone involved. But death played a role, too, it seemed. Hermione had no idea who was powerful enough to manipulate time through death. Hell, maybe Merlin was alive?

It seemed farfetched, but with the lot that's been happening around her, she couldn't take anything for granted. In fact, what if she or anyone else ended up involved in the time paradox? It could easily come to pass.

She briefly entertained Malfoy's last comments.

" _You can have him, too, but know one thing: I am going to be Head wife, non-negotiable."_

What did that mean? Was that another random thing Draco said to confuse her or something? The blonde certainly liked stirring the pot when it suited her and Hermione could not comprehend why she would suddenly give her that sort of go-ahead to pursue her best friend in such a manner. It was starting to give her a headache thinking about it.

In any case, there was something else that was messing with her sleep; something that Draco said to Harry…

"What's an event trigger?"

* * *

The next morning, Hermione found herself being the first of her friends in the Great Hall for breakfast. She had been waiting for Harry and Ron's arrival. But in the end, it was only Ron that showed up.

"Good morning, Ron."

"Some morning. Have you seen Harry?"

"Well… no."

"He left the dorm before I even woke up. Dean said he saw him headed this way."

Hermione shook her head. "Haven't seen him at all."

Ron was a tad vexed. Harry was hiding stuff from him, and now this? He grumpily sat on the table.

"I thought we were mates, but Harry doesn't seem to think so."

Hermione understood from those words that Ron had no idea what was going on.

"What do you mean?"

"Bloke isn't talking to me. Well, he is, but he isn't telling me what's going on with him. Did he tell you anything?"

Not sure if their conversation yesterday was a secret, Hermione was irresolute of how to respond.

"He'll tell us when he's ready, Ron. You have to be patient," she directed, mentally sighing.

Ron took her deflection as a no and then snorted. "When will that bloody be? I'm getting tired of his lone wolf attitude."

Hermione glared at him. "That's not a nice thing to say!"

"Come off it, 'Mione. You're probably thinking the same thing."

She had, but since her talk with Harry yesterday, she felt a lot more content. She guessed she could understand Ron's behaviour after being left in the dark like this.

"See, I thought so. We've gotta talk to him. It's obvious he isn't going to say anything unless we confront him," said Ron.

Hermione mentally groaned. This wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

"Are we all set for tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"Yep. We're good to go," Draco answered.

They both had their bodies at either side of a pillar near the school grounds, opposite the hallway. They made sure to face in opposite directions so they could easily split up and avoid being spotted together.

Draco was a guy again, much taller than his female self. He looked relaxed and without a care in the world.

"Okay. If we do this by the book, we should get you into the Tournament again."

"Yeah, but three Hogwarts Champions? It still makes a lot of things complicated… again."

"I need you there. I can't fight Voldemort on my own anymore."

"You know, my other half would have squealed if you had said that to her."

"Good thing she isn't here then."

"You're such a Potter, Harry."

"I get that a lot."

"From me."

"Who else?"

"I think you guys would be great!"

"If it wasn't for the fact that I know you like girls, I would have definitely watched you closely from now on."

"This again? Sorry, Harry, but my relationship with you is purely platonic. Hers on the other hand…"

"Let's not get into details. I have a hard time understanding you both already."

"Sure. I still think you can beat him alone. Who else can use wandless magic?"

"Voldemort is becoming more powerful with each loop. Besides, just because I don't need a wand doesn't mean my magic is powerful."

"Yeah, yeah, it means you have better control over it, yadda, yadda, yadda. Heard it all before. Any reason why Voldy's getting stronger?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"Okay then, on to more pressing issues; who are you taking to the Yule Ball?"

"Draco-"

"Don't say no one. You _need_ to take someone."

"We're on a mission."

"Yeah, it doesn't mean we have to burn ourselves out. The Yule Ball is fun. You are in need of a lot of that! You're not marrying anyone, just enjoying yourself."

Harry rubbed his head. "Look, we-'

"Don't have time? Were you really going to say that? C'mon!"

Harry looked passed the hallway and into the school field. He thought briefly about what Draco said. Maybe he did need to relax a bit this time?

"Should I name the cringe-worthy moments when you didn't take a date? There were the few loops with Professor McGonagall. Holy shit was that sad, to think that she not only was your dance partner but simply did it out of pity! Then that one loop with Dumbledore… PFFFT-AHAHAHAHAH!"

Draco hunched over and clutched his side, laughing hysterically.

Harry squinted his eyes.

"Shut the fuck up! Someone might here you!" he growled.

"Sorry, sorry!" Draco laughed off. "Lost control there. But still, you get where I'm going with this?"

"Yeah."

"I'll leave picking the girl up to you. Take too long, and I'll take matters into my own hands." It was said jokingly, but Harry knew better.

He rounded the pillar. "You better no-"

But Draco was already gone.

"… Stupid apparition."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes: Now I know I said the chapters would be longer, but since I'm not talking this story seriously anymore, I decided to just chill and do what I'm comfortable with. Well, that's the chapter. From here on out you may not see any more author's notes – maybe I'll put some on special chapters. If you liked it or didn't, let me know. If you think I can improve somewhere, let me know.**_

 _ **This chapter was a little darker – you gonna get a few of these in the future. But good news! Next few chapters are gonna be filled with humour! I'm going to be playing around with the Yule Ball scenario for a while.**_

 _ **Feel free to hit me up if you've got any questions.**_

 _ **Until next time I'm around, thanks for reading!**_


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